Bachelor of Education (1991), Department of Curriculum Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

Certificate in Education (1980), Umtali Teachers’ College, Zimbabwe

Research Interests:

My research interest lies in educational and political developments in Zambia and Zimbabwe. I focus on how the economic meltdown and the political space in Zimbabwe have affected the effectiveness of the education system, and how the teaching profession is responding to these socio-political developments. The socio-political repression and the economic meltdown have created a refuge and immigrant Zimbabwean population both in Africa and in the West. Consequently, one of my interests is to explore how these immigrants have settled and integrated into their new societies, focusing on the challenges that they face and the coping strategies that they employ to overcome these challenges. In addition I also research on how the indigenous knowledge in Zimbabwe has been marginalized in the academic corridors and explore ways in which integration of indigenous knowledge and learning can enhance knowledge utilization in socio-economic development

Shizha, E. (1998). Policies and projects promoting girls education in Zimbabwe, in Policies, Programmes and Projects for Education and Development in 12 Countries of Southern African Development Community (SADC). Harare, Southern African Research and Documentation Centre.

Refereed Journal Articles

Shizha, E. (2008). Indigenous? What indigenous knowledge? Beliefs and attitudes of rural primary school teachers towards indigenous knowledge in the science curriculum in Zimbabwe. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 36

Abdi, Ali. A., Ellis, L. & Shizha, E. (2005). Democratic development and the role of citizenship education in Sub-Saharan Africa with a case focus of Zambia. International Education Journal, 6 (4), 454-466.

Shizha, E. (2000). The Development of masculinity in primary school boys in Zimbabwe: Possibilities for Deconstruction, Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, 12(1), 1-24.

Shizha, E. & Hapanyengwi-Chemhuru, O. (1999). Through the Zimbabwean eyes: A review of Hans M. Zell’s ‘Publishing in Africa’ Journal of African Religion and Philosophy: Now and in the Next Millennium 1990s-3000CE, 53-54.

Biography

I grew up in Zimbabwe where I did my undergraduate and master's degree at the University of Zimbabwe. I grew up with a passion for teaching, which was the career open to most indigenous Zimbabweans during the Rhodesian colonial period. There were very few options for indigenous people who wanted to pursue highly regarded professions. Teachers in rural schools, where most of us grew up, were our role models. As a result, I have been a teacher all my career life having taught at elementary, high school, teacher training and university levels. I came to Canada in 2001 and settled in chilly Edmonton where I did my PhD. I find Ontario, Brantford in particular warmer than Edmonton, and I am happy to have been offered and accepted the job at Wilfrid Laurier and hope to grow with the university and to contribute to its development.

Additional Information

Current ProjectI am currently a co-researcher on a research project on the social support needs of first time Sudanese and Zimbabwean immigrant mothers in Edmonton, Alberta. I am also co-authoring a book on current educational problems and challenges in Zimbabwe during the economic meltdown that has halted soci-economic development in Zimbabwe. I am also co-editing a book on indigenous knowledge and learning in Asia and Africa.